Uncle George

David Aubrey George and his namesake, his Great Uncle George.

It's weird when people pass away, to me. Weird is a poor choice of words...let me explain. Death is tragic. No matter how you slice it. Expected, unexpected; a person you loved or a person you had a terrible relationship with - it's all pretty tragic.

Joe's beloved Uncle George passed away earlier this evening after a scheduled surgery. He was in recovery when things took a bad turn that ended with the worst. Uncle George was a man who's company I enjoyed only a few times in my almost two years of marriage to Joe. But in that handful of times, he made an overwhelming, instantaneous impression. Upon our first meeting he was, quite comfortably to me, my Uncle George. He was a man full of happiness and warmth like I've never seen and may never see again. I'm grateful for the all too brief glimpse of this great man.

About three weeks before the babies were born, Joe and I had a conversation driving home one night. He told me he wanted to name David after Uncle George. Uncle George and his wife, Aunt Donna, didn't have kids of their own. Uncle George always joked to Joe and his sister Beth that if they ever had children the boy should be named George and the girl, Georgina. It took no time at all for me to happily agree to add Uncle George's name to the name we'd already chosen for our baby boy. We were going to tell Uncle George at Christmas as part of his gift. Of course, Davey and Charlie came much sooner than that, but I don't think it mattered that it was Christmas or not. I think it meant the world to him on November 27th.

Davey is a happy, loving baby. A hugger by nature. It's hard to know if he'd be that way were he not named after someone with the same nature.

Death is weird. It's so incredibly heartbreaking. But here's the weirdest part about death: It's amazing at bringing people together. Since I heard this tragic news, my husband and I have exchanged some of the kindest words to each other, my sister in law and I have joked and laughed like we never have before, and I've felt like part of this family more than I already did. Death, like birth, brings us together. It makes us stop and take notice. The birth of David Aubrey George and sweet Charlie, made this same family stop and take stock in each other. My mother in law sat next to me on my hospital bed as she held the new baby with her dear brother's name. Charlie was named after her mother who we lost earlier that year. We never get too far in this family without something stopping us and making us say "I love you". For that we are richly blessed.

Charlie has her surgery first thing Friday morning. It's hard not to think, if you believe in that sort of thing, that god called on Uncle George to watch closely over our little bird. To make sure she's in the best care. Watched by one of his best angels. For that, I am most thankful. Thank you Uncle George, for protecting Charlie and for giving our Davey a name to live up to.

You are tremendously loved.